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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · trunk · pop · patient · hand · charge · coach · march

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pop — soda
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — in control
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — in cards
  21. charge — electricity
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. march — the month
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com